Education

"If we are going to judge teachers and students by test scores, then Congress must fund programs that encourage improvement and growth within education." -- Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA)

California Democratic Party Platform: Education California's students must have access to a free, fully accessible and equitable world-class public education. Postsecondary education must be available and affordable to all interested students. Our elementary, secondary, and postsecondary institutions must be well resourced and they must provide a well-rounded, balanced curriculum that will prepare students for success in a globally interconnected world.

Democrats Champion Student Loan Reform.
Tucked away inside the health care reform legislation passed this year was a critical reform of the federal student loan program that will increase Pell grants for college students and save taxpayers $61 billion over 10 years. By loaning directly to students, the federal government will eliminate billions of dollars in bank fees that were carried by both students and taxpayers. The legislation also reduced the onerous burden facing students who are forced to take out huge loans to go to college: an income-based repayment plan limits loan payments to a fixed percentage of income, and students who faithfully make those payments will have their loans forgiven after 20 years, down from the current 25.

Bush Leaves America's School Children Behind. "The broken promises of President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act are disgraceful," said Democratic National Committee Press Secretary Stacie Paxton. "No matter how hard the Bush Administration tries to spin today's events, they cannot hide the fact that President Bush's repeated under-funding of his own No Child Left Behind legislation has denied millions of American schoolchildren the opportunity to succeed. Democrats will keep our promises to our schoolchildren with a new direction that makes sure every child in America has the opportunity to succeed in the classroom."

Bush Leaves America's College Students Behind. Bush claims that education is a priority for him. College costs are rising, state governments are cutting higher education funding, and Bush is restricting access to college by working against affirmative action and Title IX programs.

Childcare. The Bush Administration abandons commitment to childcare for working families. -->